Residency, taxes, costs and daily life: the essentials for everyone who wants to stay longer. With clear numbers and no sugar-coating.
More and more people are considering Zanzibar as a new place to live. These are the reasons they give.
Around 27 °C on average, sea air and no long dark winter.
Living locally is much cheaper than in Germany, Austria or Switzerland. For an expat couple 2,000 to 3,500 USD a month is a sensible planning figure.
A growing international community in Fumba Town with neighbours from over 60 nations.
Airport in 15 to 25 minutes. Nonstop from Frankfurt in about 10.5 hours, otherwise with one change.
Clinic and pharmacies nearby, hospital in Stone Town. For serious cases Dar es Salaam or Nairobi are the options.
Modern projects like Fumba Town with beach, pool and restaurants within walking distance.
There are several options depending on your situation. The details on the retirement visa and golden visa come from FumbaTown Agency, which supports the applications.
eVisa or visa on arrival, 50 USD, up to 90 days. Plus the mandatory insurance (approx. 44 USD). Remote work on a tourist visa is a grey area.
Class A for building a business via a ZIPA certificate, Class B as a work visa tied to a local employer.
Residence permit for retirees aged 55 and over, without the minimum investment of the golden visa. Valid for 12 months and renewable annually. It is not intended for working.
Costs: The government application fee is about 500 USD. You can apply yourself or through a lawyer or agency that handles documents and authority visits. Depending on scope, fees come on top.
Personal support with residence permits and property purchases is offered by, among others, FumbaTown Agency.
Your tax situation depends on whether you live in a ZIPA free zone such as Fumba Town and how you give up your German residence. Source is the Zanzibar country profile by Wohnsitz Ausland (German).
| Foreign income in the free zones | There is currently no rule for it, effectively 0% according to ZIPA. The gap is to be closed later, the status is not guaranteed permanently. |
|---|---|
| Rental income | 10% in the free zones, the only regulated exception. |
| Outside the zones | Residents pay 0 to 30% on worldwide income. As a short-term resident (a maximum of 2 years in a lifetime) only Tanzanian income is taxed. Non-residents pay 15% final on Tanzanian employment income. |
| When are you resident? | A permanent home plus any stay in the tax year, 183 days in the tax year, or an average of more than 122 days over three years. |
| VAT | 15% on Zanzibar (18% for banks, telecoms and digital services). |
| German side | No double taxation treaty with Germany (as of 1 Jan 2026). Exit tax under § 6 AStG for substantial shareholdings from 1%. Extended limited tax liability can continue for up to 10 years. |
Rules of thumb from the country profile (Numbeo, thin data) and from our experience. Imported goods often cost much more than in Europe, local products and markets are cheap.
New housing projects with a residence option are available in the ZIPA free zones, for example in Fumba Town. Overview and current prices: fumbatown.agency/projekte
Where do I get what? A selection from the directory, which we keep expanding. Comments and corrections are welcome.
Stone Town's big market for fruit, vegetables, fish, meat and spices. Bargaining is part of it, the early morning is freshest.
Not yet checked by us · Source: The Fumba Times, Ausgabe 26 · Updated: Oct 2026
Popular community market with home-made goods, organic produce and crafts. According to The Fumba Times it is held regularly on the first Saturday of the month. Check the date beforehand.
Not yet checked by us · Source: The Fumba Times, Ausgabe 26 · Updated: Oct 2026
Delivery services that The Fumba Times names as an alternative to shopping in person. Handy because imported goods are not always on the shelf.
Not yet checked by us · Source: The Fumba Times, Ausgabe 26 · Updated: Oct 2026
Café with a good coffee selection, cakes and light meals in a historic house.
Not yet checked by us · Source: Public source · Updated: Oct 2026
Italian with an ocean view, pizza and pasta. Partly cash only.
Not yet checked by us · Source: Public source · Updated: Oct 2026
The WhatsApp group of the 24-hour supermarket in Fumba Town, in our assessment currently the supermarket with the widest range on Zanzibar. There are further groups, for example for ordering and delivery of dairy and meat products. Know one? Tell us.
Editorially checked by FumbaTown-Team · Source: FumbaTown Agency · Updated: Oct 2026
For residence permits, property purchases and contracts we recommend a lawyer on the ground who is familiar with ZIPA and immigration. You find contacts in the directory under Legal & authorities.
Lawyer on Zanzibar with whom FumbaTown Agency works. Registered in Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar, over 9 years of experience. Helps with the long-term visa, retirement visa, local driving licence, selling a property and buying from a private owner.
Business relationship with the initiators · Source: FumbaTown Agency · Updated: Oct 2026
The free magazine from Fumba Town: business, culture, health, shopping guides and events around the island. Quarterly as a PDF with new articles online in between. Well worth a read.
The best knowledge sits with the people on the island. Recommend the good lawyer, the fair driver, the café with real espresso. We review tips editorially and mark what has been checked.